Free FORSAKEN: THE SYSTEMIC SERIES by K.W. CALLAHAN Page A

the unfinished third floor apartment to make it more livable.  This gave them some privacy and allowed them a double bed of their own in which to sleep. 
    By this point, almost everyone was up and around again.  Paul and dad were over their illnesses, and dad’s arm was out of the sling, and while not fully functional, it was certainly in much better shape than it was prior to our arrival.  Will was walking with the help of just one crutch.  Even Emily was up and around, walking gingerly with the use of a cane that we’d found in one of Olsten’s empty homes.
    In the store’s downstairs area, we’d dismantled all the shelving units to open up the available floor space.  It was a sizeable area with everything removed, nearly 30 feet by 40 feet.  We’d converted a good chunk of this space into an indoor play area for the kids.  They spent much of their time playing out on the front porch or on the desolate Main Street.  It definitely took some time for the parents’ pre-flu jitters of seeing their children playing in the middle of the street to wear off.  The indoor space served more as a location for them to entertain themselves when darkness or weather didn’t permit outside play. 
    The rest of this store area was sectioned off for Emily and dad to have as their bedroom so they didn’t have to go up and down stairs.  We hung large sheets on ropes to partition the space and give them some privacy.  It was kind of sweet and old fashioned.  They each choose to have a single bed divided by a tiny nightstand to avoid the appearance of impropriety, especially with the grandchildren around.  It reminded me of the parents’ bedroom on the set of some 1950’s television show.
    We spent the majority of the two weeks after our arrival to Olsten getting things set up for the long term.  We dug two pits out back, about 50 yards from the general store, and built outhouses for both sexes.  I made Jason a special seat that was smaller in circumference in order to minimize the chance of his falling into the pit below.  And once we explained to him that he was like a bombardier in an airplane, dropping his “poo-poo bombs and pee-pee missiles” on the enemy below, he started to enjoy using the outhouse.  It was hilarious to stand outside and listen to him make shooting sounds and explosions as he went potty. 
    We also took time to shore up defenses on our general store home, boarding up any open and unnecessary windows on the first floor and adding security bars across the front and back doors that could be slid into place at night.
    We decided to turn the plot of land directly behind the store into a garden.  Ray, Joanna, Claire, and I spent two days with hoes, rakes, and shovels, tilling up the earth to prepare it for seeding.  Sharron meanwhile, spent her time with Paul and Sarah out scouring the area for seeds to plant.  She worked through the various homes and garages, compiling a variety of seed options from old planters, seed packets left in drawers or cabinets, and later on, the plants themselves as they began to sprout around town in gardens left untended, out in the wild, or in odd spots like old garbage and compost piles.
    Thankfully, while we were waiting for our green thumb of the group to get things rolling, and the weather to start cooperating enough to plant, we were able to consume the little remaining food we’d brought with us, the items we’d collected in the homes around town, as well as food we’d taken from Mary’s diner. 
    We’d been pleasantly surprised when making our second search of the diner to discover that Ray and Joanna’s initial report of substantial supplies at Mary’s had not been exaggerated.  In fact, we found that there was still a multitude of food stuffs that had amazingly remained untouched during and after the flu.  We found large salvageable bags of dried pasta, rice, dehydrated mashed potatoes, powdered drink mix and powdered milk, as well as sizeable